This invention relates to an apparatus for the formation of transverse grooves in a road, more particularly for the formation of rain drainage grooves on the edges of the road. Transversely-extending grooves, i.e., grooves which are not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the road, are known. Generally, such grooves have been employed to define what is known in this art as rumble strips. Rumble strips may be defined by either a series of raised strips, often integral with the road surface, or by a series of transversely extending and parallel depressions, the latter being formed, conventionally, by a saw blade. The walls of sides of such grooves are thus generally vertical. The effect of the rumble strips is to generate noise and vehicle vibration when the wheels of an automobile pass over them to thereby apprise the driver that the vehicle is either to be slowed down or that the vehicle is not in a proper lane or not in a proper portion of the road.
Prior apparatus for making a series of transverse, parallel grooves in an already formed road has suffered the drawback of not being capable of operation in a continuous manner. Namely, whatever element is employed to form each groove is pushed down into the road surface, the groove is formed, the element is then raised from the road surface and then the element is advanced or indexed to thereby form the next adjacent groove by repeating the process. As noted above, the element is usually a saw blade.